Three Talking Points from Gameweek 7 in the EPL
Solskjaer goes from hero to zero as Manchester United’s awful home form continues
Via AFP
In the space of just four days, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went from the manager who tactically outfought Julian Nagelsmann as Manchester United defeated Leipzig 5-0, to the man who got outwitted by Arteta in a desperately poor performance at Old Trafford.
That defeat meant Manchester United have failed to win any of their opening 4 home matches of the 2020/21 Premier League season as they remained in 15th place in the Premier League.
It’s close to rock bottom for a big club like United and considering they ended last season in third place, it’s a rapid drop in form and confidence which can be seen throughout the squad.
De Gea is the only player who doesn’t deserve criticism of some kind from the opening 6 games of the Premier League season, as even talisman Bruno Fernandes has had a mixed start to the new campaign.
The most glaring problem in my opinion is inconsistency in the system and team selection from Ole.
He has chopped and changed personal so much that fans have no clue who he thinks is the clubs best eleven.
The decision in recent weeks to start both McTominay and Fred is a strange one to me because it feels like they are two players doing the job of one player, like what we saw Partey do so well for Arsenal.
Matic in recent times has filled that role effectively, just marshalling in front of the back four and giving them the cover they need.
I think what is being lost in simply trying to solidify things defensively is the Manchester United identity, which is all about being on the front foot and being relentless in an attacking sense.
For me starting Matic at the base of the diamond (which worked so well against Leipzig) would have made more sense, then you could have had Van De Beek or Pogba alongside Fred in central midfield and then Fernandes in the free role behind the two strikers.
What was also evident on Sunday was how wide and separated Rashford and Greenwood were throughout the game and for me that was a waste.
One of the biggest strengths of the diamond is that you get a traditional front two partnership and both Greenwood and Rashford are intelligent enough footballers to make a partnership work but instead they spent most of the game out wide and isolated.
The other weakness of that formation is with Dalot on loan and Telles currently out with COVID, Wan-Bissaka and Shaw are defensive minded full-backs playing in a system that demands the full-backs to provide the width and crosses into the strikers.
This is a problem Ole needs to solve, he has poor options on the wing but with Martial back from his suspension, the option of playing Rashford on the left and Greenwood on the right is back.
Therefore, going back to his trusted 4-3-3 could, for the time being, be the most sensible option as questions over his future and the potential arrival of Pochettino continue to loom over him.
Leicester and Spurs can mount title challenge in unpredictable season
Via LCFC.com
I said a few weeks ago that I didn’t think Leicester were serious title challengers and whilst I still find it highly unlikely, they have shown some evidence in the last two results that they can take advantage of the chance that is there for a number of teams this season.
Likewise, Spurs under Mourinho have had an impressive start.
Their two draws were both games they were very unlucky to not win and their opening day defeat to Everton was simply the team still getting going after a short pre-season.
Both sides, in a normal season with fans present, would be competing for top four places but all the evidence is there to suggest that no fans has brought upon inconsistent results from every team in the Premier League.
Manchester City are now finding their feet, but they had a poor start to the campaign and although Liverpool are top of the league, they have dropped points in games they would have found a way to win in last season.
Rodgers’ tactics worked a treat once again against Leeds on Monday night, hitting them on the counterattack with ruthless efficiency to complete a great week for the club.
It started with a hard-fought win against a much-improved Arsenal team last weekend which was backed up with another Europa League win midweek and ended with a 4-1 thrashing of Bielsa’s Leeds, which is no mean feat.
As for Spurs, they are third just one place and one point behind Leicester and continued their promising start with a 2-1 win at home to Brighton, with Gareth Bale scoring his first goal on his return to the club to win them the game.
The impact Bale has already had and the evidence from his time at Real Madrid that he has grown into a world class player, will excite Spurs fans.
Their front three (if Bale can stay fit) of Son, Kane and Bale is frightening and could see Spurs mount a serious title challenge to Liverpool, Leicester and Manchester City who are the three other likely candidates.
Jota can become a regular starter for Liverpool
Via Liverpoolfc.com
Diogo Jota came off the bench once again to save Liverpool’s blushes on Saturday, he is proving to be a steal and another great piece of business by Liverpool.
Liverpool were drawing 1-1 with West Ham who, as they have on several occasions already this season, were making life difficult for their opposition, defending in numbers and with great organisation.
Jurgen Klopp knew something had to change to alter the course of a game that seemed to be closing in on an underwhelming draw.
Jota was his answer and once again he didn’t disappoint.
He started the game last week against Sheffield United and the game had the exact same scenario as this one against West Ham, the score 1-1 and very much in the balance.
He found the winner in the 64th minute against Sheffield United, it was the 85th minute against West Ham and it came after he had a goal disallowed for a foul in the build-up.
This just highlights how confident and sharp he is and how hungry he appears to be to score goals and help Liverpool win valuable Premier League games.
The form of Firmino is a stark contrast to Jota’s and I think the time has come to shake up Klopp’s trusted front three, even if it’s just temporarily as Firmino tries to rediscover his form that frankly has been missing for a while.
It takes some of the pressure off Firmino but it also gives Jota a chance at centre stage to get a regular place in the team.
